Saving Florida’s Water Supply, Drop by Drop
UF/IFAS Extension’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) program and the Center for Land Use Efficiency (CLUE) partner with state agencies, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to safeguard our water for future generations.
Water Demand
Water demand already exceeds supply in some parts of Florida, and projections show the state could double its current water usage by 2070 if population growth, water-use habits, and irrigation practices do not change.¹
- At least 50% of Florida household water usage is for landscape irrigation.
- The average U.S. household spends more than $1,000 per year on water.²
Water Conservation
In 2021, 124,000 residents and landscape professionals participated in water conservation programs, taught by 99 UF/IFAS Extension faculty statewide.
Follow-up survey showed³:
- 89% reduced irrigation in winter months
- 86% reduced irrigation to two days per week
- 85% used rain gauge to track rainfall
- 82% reduced irrigation if adequate rainfall
- 81% reduced irrigation in summer months
Making An Impact*
- 359,449,792 gallons of water saved – more than three and a half million gallons
- That’s enough water to supply 4,085 household with water for one year, and
- $1,549,229 saved on utility bills – more than one and a half million dollars
Sources
- Water 2070 project (FDACS, UF Geoplan Center, 1000 Friends of Florida)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2015
- Participants reporting they began a new behavior or more consistently performed the behavior.
- * Borisova et al. February 2021. Estimating Benefits of Residential Outdoor Water Conservation: A Step-by-Step Guide.
Boyer and Dukes. August 2015. Estimated Water Savings Potential of Florida-Friendly Landscaping Activities.